HBO to Climb The Dark Tower

The movie is still in flux, but according to producer Brian Grazer (he of the wild hair), the TV component of his and producing partner/director Ron Howard’s ambitious adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” will be heading to HBO instead of a basic cable channel as originally planned.

We’re going to do [‘The Dark Tower’] with HBO. We’ll do the TV with HBO, and we’ll do the movie with… to be determined. We’ll do it right.

So what about that movie?

We’re going to do that movie. We’ve lost $45 million out of the budget. When people say no to you enough, then you have to lose money, which we’ve done without harming the scope of the film.

Grazer also confirms that Javier Bardem is still onboard to play the mysterious gunslinger hero Roland Deschain in the movies and TV series. Unless, of course, he de-commits. It happens.

Here’s a thought: why not ditch the movies completely and do a TV mini-series? HBO has already proven that they have the will, the means, and the prestige to launch big-time properties with “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”, to name just a few. With a mini-series on a paid cable channel like HBO, you’d be able to do the entire book without having to cut for running time, and you’d be free to throw in as much gore, sex, and violence as you want.

Think about it, Brian. Just as soon as you pour more moose on that hair, of course.